A flying eye hospital which travels the world administering treatments was intercepted by Hungarian fighter jets after taking off from Stansted Airport.

The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital is staffed by volunteers and travels round the world administering treatment for blindness and other sight defects.

However, hours after taking off early yesterday morning (March 21) fighter jets were scrambled to intercept it as it entered Hungarian airspace due to a temporary drop in communications.

A spokeswoman for the hospital said: "This was the result of a routine precaution across Eastern Europe when there is even a short break in communication. The Hungarian aircraft and controllers were extremely professional and the aircraft continued without deviation and landed safely in Qatar."

The aircraft had been in the UK for the first time in its 35 year history to launch Operation Sight, a campaign for 2017 that will highlight the stark reality that every minute counts when treating blindness.

This year, the plane will be undertaking treatment and training programmes in Vietnam, Cameroon and Bangladesh.

In the past, the plane has flown to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, China, Vietnam, Ethiopia, South Africa, Ghana, Zambia, Cameroon, Peru, Mongolia and Indonesia among others.

While from the outside it appears to be an ordinary passenger plane, inside there is a state-of-the-art operating theatre, with audio-visual equipment that transmits live operations to trainees in a 46-seat classroom at the front of the plane. The aircraft also features pre and post-op spaces and a laser eye suite.